Tag: Christian Matheson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many responses she has received to the recent consultation on proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff; how long she plans for her Department to spend on evaluating those responses; and when she plans to make public the Government’s proposed next steps on this matter.

Andrea Leadsom

The Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) scheme review consultation closed on 23 October and we are currently evaluating the responses received. We have received nearly 55,000 responses to the consultation and we currently estimate that just over 2,600 are unique and detailed responses; the rest are briefer and more uniform responses, generated by campaigns.

We expect to publish a Government response in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost per mile of electrification of a railway line in the UK.

Claire Perry

The Department for Transport does not delineate the average cost per mile of electrification from the wider rail upgrade works that it funds in England and Wales. The Government’s commitment to a rolling programme of electrification is reliant on a wider set of enhancement works to make journeys better. This often includes track works, gauging, signalling upgrades, power supply works and station works to allow electric trains to run. The Department does not make an estimate of the average cost per mile of electrification as the engineering complexity and challenge varies significantly across England and Wales. Electrification works in Scotland are devolved to the Scottish Government.

However, we are aware of the significant cost to the industry and the wider public of the failure of the Labour Governments of 1997 to 2010 to progress electrification schemes across the country. This Government is determined to rectify this failure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what attempts have been made to begin a national media campaign to recruit doctors at Chorley and South Ribble District Hospital; and in which national papers that campaign was placed.

Ben Gummer

These are operational matters for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and we have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s questions. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2016, to Question 42328, if he will provide (a) a schedule of the consular documents and (b) a copy of the investigation report referred to in that Answer.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The consular documents referred to in my Answer of 19 July, to Question 42328, contain numerous pieces of correspondence between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the many interested parties in the case, including the Governments of the Bahamas and Mexico. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold a copy of the police report, which was passed to Cheshire Police. Officials will meet you and the Coriam family to discuss the case, and our engagement with the Governments of the Bahamas and Mexico.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of housebuilding.

Brandon Lewis

Housing starts have almost doubled since 2009. Over 608,000 new homes have been built since April 2010 – there are now 795,000 more homes in England than in 2009.

Trends in housebuilding are published in the quarterly House Building Release.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between junctions 12 and 14.

Andrew Jones

No work has been done to estimate the costs of upgrading the M56 to a smart motorway between Junctions 12 and 14 as this scheme is not within the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS). Highways England is working hard to deliver the schemes set out in the RIS in the first Road Period 2015-20.

Future investment in the strategic road network is currently being developed through Highways England’s Route Strategies process, which will be used to plan new investments in the second Road Period 2020-25.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust’s Business Resilience Plan is to avoid acute shortages of staff at the Accident and Emergency department.

Ben Gummer

These are operational matters for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and we have written to Stuart Heys, Chair of the Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s questions. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has received on alleged conflicts of interest in the appointment of Sir John Chadwick to head an inquiry into the mistreatment of live foxes by the South Herefordshire Hunt.

Brandon Lewis

The Home Office has not received any representations regarding the appointment of Sir John Chadwick to head the independent inquiry into the mistreatment of live foxes by the South Herefordshire Hunt.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces have imported policing-related equipment from Israel since 2010; and what equipment was so imported by each such force concerned.

Mike Penning

This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The procurement of goods and services for police forces is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables locally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost per mile to upgrade a motorway to a smart motorway.

Andrew Jones

Highways England has an improvement programme to create additional network capacity by utilising the motorway hard shoulder as an additional lane. This is known as the Smart Motorway Programme.

The cost depends on the scope and nature of each scheme and is heavily influenced by factors such as the number of junctions and the extent of work needed to existing structures.

Based on the actual or forecast actual cost of relevant schemes started over the past five years, the total cost ranges from £7.5-£8.8m per mile of additional network capacity (using a common price base of March 2015).